


you know that you make it shine

by ShatterinSeconds



Series: under the city lights [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, First Date, Fluff, M/M, Other Characters Are Mentioned, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, broganes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-10 00:24:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15279507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShatterinSeconds/pseuds/ShatterinSeconds
Summary: “Did I finally find something that the great Keith Kogane is terrible at?” Lance’s smirk must be intoxicating, if Keith’s furrowed glare is anything to go by.“It’s the heat; it’s throwing off my concentration,” Keith easily replies, his face void of any sign of sweat.(or Lance and Keith finally have their first date and Keith becomes the butterfly whisperer)





	you know that you make it shine

**Author's Note:**

> I have not been to the museum of science in a year so I apologize for the inaccuracies. 
> 
> Also, for those who are not familiar with it, the T is what we call the metro/subway system in Boston, and MFA stands for the Museum of Fine Arts
> 
> And lastly, a big thanks to transprentiss for giving me the idea for the sequel:D

**** In only a tank top and shorts, Lance feels every inch of the stale air on his skin; the AC does little to cut through the body heat permeating the train car. The T is as crowded as one would expect during the summer. A few little kids hop by their parent’s side, sandals banging on the floor as the train squeals on the tracks, and almost everyone has their eyes glued to their phone or have headphones dangling from their ears as they stare blankly ahead, contemplating their existence. 

When the train turns, Keith stumbles into Lance who laughs, hands automatically reaching up to stable his boyfriend. 

“For a native Bostonian, I’m disappointed in you,” Lance says with a smirk.

“Shut up, I forgot about the turn,” Keith grumbles, repositioning his feet on the ground and crossing his arms to deliver a menacing glare to Lance. 

In the first week of their relationship, they had found great amusement in creating stupid competitions for each other. Today’s included riding the T without holding onto anything, the first to stumble and fall loses, and Keith had been dangerously close. Unfortunately, the train car is almost too packed to attempt this, having a human support everywhere you turn, but it’s fun watching Keith’s face grimace everytime he almost loses balance--well it’s amusing for Lance at least.

Having grown up in Boston, attended college in Boston, and all around just never left the city for more than a few months when he went abroad, Lance is proud to say that he has mastered every line on the MBTA, never having lost this game once, even beating his older siblings a few times when he was younger.  

Lance leans closer to Keith as the train squeals to a stop at another station, a few more people pile into the train where there’s no more space left to give. Suitcases and shopping bags and sporting equipment does not help.

“Did I finally find something that the great Keith Kogane is terrible at?” Lance’s smirk must be intoxicating, if Keith’s furrowed glare is anything to go by. 

Keith’s long, black hair has been tied up into a short ponytail, a few flyaway strands framing his face, and his bangs have been clipped back with a blue dragonfly hair pin that Lance stole from his sister a long time ago. He’s too cute, and Lance just wants to tug on his hair to annoy him even further. “It’s the heat; it’s throwing off my concentration,” Keith easily replies, his face void of any sign of sweat.

“Sure it is.”

They’ve been dating for two weeks but had yet to find time for a proper first date--time spent together usually included walks around Faneuil Hall late in the afternoon when Lance’s shift at the aquarium ended or watching one of Keith’s performances during his lunch break. Any minute with Keith is worth it though--whether that includes stopping into the Starbucks he works at on the way to work or even just spending a few minutes texting each other--but to finally have a full day dedicated solely to Keith plasters a smile on Lance’s face that hasn’t vanished since he saw Keith walk into the station. 

Someone elbows Lance in the back, forcing him and Keith closer together; the tips of their shoes touch, and he can feel Keith’s breath twirling his hair as they try to become as compact as possible. Mentally deciding to end the game--Lance still counts this as a win for himself of course--he grabs onto Keith’s hand, their fingers dancing with each other before becoming locked in a firm grasp. When Keith angles his head to the side, practically resting it on Lance’s shoulder, a soft smile graces his sharp features, and only now does Lance realize that these cramped conditions are a blessing.  

A garbled voice, hopefully uttering North Station, breaks through the deafening buzz of the train. Stepping out of the car and into the station, they mesh in with the crowd, enjoying the sudden release from the creeping claustrophobia.  

Their hands remain entwined.

* * *

“Wanna go to the Butterfly Garden?” Lance casually suggests, watching as Keith gazes at the replica of a dinosaur much taller than him. There’s a small smile on his face that Lance thinks is perfectly adorable. Who knew his boyfriend was a dinosaur kid when he was younger--Keith has been sprouting facts all morning since they entered this section of the Museum of Science; he probably knows more than all of these little plagues hanging on the walls and in front of the dioramas combined. 

Keith turns to him with a quirk of his lips. “Sounds good.” Then he widely gestures to the large lobby area. “Lead the way.”

Their feet burn across the carpet as they make their way to the second floor, dodging little kids with grubby hands while they run towards the far side, bumping into each other slightly. Having been opened for free this Friday as part of the city’s summer program, the museum is packed with every person of every age level--but free is free, and as two people in their mid twenties, Lance knows that Keith appreciates the lack of cost this afternoon will create. It’s almost too crowded in some places though, as he and Keith have to weave in and out families to reach their destination. But they make it with no casualties.   

“I win,” Keith whispers in his ear as they slowly fall into the line leading into the Butterfly Garden. A lock of hair has escaped from the clip, cascading in front of Keith’s eyes and tickling Lance’s cheek.

“Hmm, do you have proof?” Lance begins only for his eyesight to catch onto a dark skinned woman with silvery white hair checking passes for the garden. “Allura! I didn’t know you were working today!” Lance practically announces to the whole group of people waiting in front of them.

A lady with frizzy blonde hair framing her face shoots him a cold glare; dark, sleepless bags ring under her eyes as she lifts her child higher on her hip. Lance winces. His grimace acts as his apology.

Allura beams slightly, her eyes brightening as she quickly waves to them, though only speaks when they stand next to her as they wait with the next group to be allowed into the garden. “Hello, Lance. It’s been awhile.”

“We skyped last night, ‘llura,” Lance laughs.

“I meant actually seeing you in person and not your face frozen on the screen in the most ridiculous position when our connection cuts out,” Allura smirks, reaching for their passes to scan. A beep cuts through the hum of chatter. “Pidge is around here too, if you haven’t seen her already, probably in the gift shop. She won’t be happy if she finds out she missed you.”

Lance nods with excitement, rocking on his feet. “I gotta congratulate her on passing her finals as usual.” Allura’s eyes casually flicker over to his side as she raises a thin eyebrow at his partner’s presence. Unexpectedly throwing an arm around Keith’s shoulders, Lance startles him enough to jump slightly. “This is my handsome boyfriend Keith; isn’t he beautiful?”

Keith squawks at the introduction, flush coloring his face, and Allura smiles.

“I’m glad we can finally meet; you don’t know how many late night chats I had to sit through while this one--” she points to Lance, who gawks in outrage at the betrayal “--droned on and on about you.”

“All good things I hope,” Keith says, shaking her hand, his blush only calming down slightly.

Even with Lance playfully growling at her, Allura chuckles. “Of course. He would not shut up about your hair.”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Lance huffs, pushing Keith gently out of her way.

As they walk into the enclosure, swiftly opening the glass doors, Keith asks, “So everyone you know works at one of the museums or something?”

Lance has to laugh, just now realizing how true that statement is. “Yeah. My best friend Hunk works at the aquarium with me but is on his honeymoon; Pidge is somewhere in this building. Shiro works at the Children’s Museum, and Coran, my old college mentor, is a curator at the MFA…. And you just met Allura.” 

“You know Shiro?  _ Takashi Shirogane _ ?” Keith abruptly turns around, shock evident on his face as he absentmindedly adjusts the hair clip. His violet-gray eyes are completely visible once again.

Lance arches an eyebrow, quite curious to see where this conversation is headed. “Uh, yeah? He was my physics TA; let’s just say I spent a lot of time with him. I hate math so much.” 

A group of three passes them by and they slink closer to the wall to be out of the way.

“Huh, small world,” Keith muses, “He’s my foster brother.” Then he smirks slightly, catching Lance’s gaze. “Were you that kid that would always knock on his dorm door at two in the morning?”

“Maybe~” 

Keith just walks on with a shake of his head and a short chuckle laced with whispered words of “I can’t believe that was you.” 

Lance finds his retort soon after, standing there with a triumphant look on his face. “Yeah but that means you were the brother who accidentally blew up two microwaves in a row.”

“Heh, are you coming or not, math boy?” Keith says as he stands next to the second set of glass doors officially leading into the exhibit. Lance takes those few extra steps and suddenly they are inside.

With the sun shining through the clear window panes of the greenhouse-like enclosure, the change in temperature instantly has Lance fanning himself with the crumpled map, and the humidity causes his hair to frizz slightly. Small tropical like trees and other vegetation grows all around them, thin branches reaching above their heads as if to a create a cage. The red tiled path winds around the corner, but Lance doesn’t care where it leads. He is mesmerized by a couple dozen butterflies fluttering around the various plants. If their wings were canvases, each and every one of them would be a masterpiece. 

When three butterflies dart past Lance, he obediently turns, caught by their gracefulness, only to find himself openly gaping at Keith. 

“What?” Keith deadpans, staring at Lance as he crosses his arms. Those three butterflies have landed on Keith’s chest, much to his displeasure. 

“They--they love you,” Lance laughs; his grin stretches wide enough to break. A pout soon sets upon his lips though at the lack of attention he receives from the creatures. Throwing his arms up, he says, “I just don’t get it. I mean, I do, ‘cause you’re adorable, but so am I.”  

“If I could make them land on you, I would,” Keith promises, grimacing slightly as he waves his hand only for another one to land on the tip of his finger, its beautiful blue wings coming to a halt.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have worn that red shirt, babe.”

He stares dumbfoundead at the butterflies clinging to him, brows furrowing when he glances back at Lance. “It’s the only clean one I had, and why would that matter?”

“That’s adorably gross, but--”

“Adult butterflies are attracted to bright colors like red. You’re a flower to them, Keith,” Allura interrupts with a laughing smile, having been walking through the exhibit to make sure everyone respected the rules. Like a knight in shining armor, she comes over to save Keith from his misery.

“Wait, I wanna take a pic!” Lance exclaims, too happy to let this moment pass by, quickly whipping out his phone only for Keith to flip him the middle finger despite children being present. He still takes the photo, immediately setting it as his home and lock screen with a smile. Thumb brushing over that grumpy face, Lance’s heart twists in adoration. “God, this day is perfect,” he mutters to his phone. 

By the subtle grin appearing on Keith’s face, Lance knows he heard it--he was supposed to after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Please leave comments and kudos, and please follow/bookmark the series if you would like to read more:)


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